Thunderbirds - The Halloween Collection 2019 Classic Edition
by homel001
Summary: This years Halloween collection takes place in the classic 1965 universe. The Tracy family along with Lady Penelope share stories of Ghosts, Monsters, Cults, Time Travel and more. Rated T
1. The Ghosts of Pluckley by Scott Tracy

**Thunderbirds**

**The Halloween Collection 2019 Classic Edition**

**by Lee Homer**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved and do not belong to me. This year's Halloween special is set in the original universe. **

The Ghosts of Pluckley

By Scott Tracy

Nestled deep within the Garden of England lies the village of Pluckley. Since the late 1980's it had been declared Britain's most haunted village with its vast record of multiple hauntings that have been collected over the years. Some of the most notorious experiences happen in the town's Churchyard, Inn and Cemetery. Ghost hunters have even labeled a section of the town "fright corner," which was heavily mocked and criticized by historians and Ghost hunters alike. However, the activity wasn't entirely centered in the village. The woods had a terrifying reputation of its own. Labeled "The Screaming Woods" Multiple people have said to have experienced blood-curdling screams from within the trees. It all sounds like tourist tales I know, but the thing is, I too witnessed something in those woods. It was during a simple call out to assist a Ghost hunting group which had called International Rescue for help.

It wasn't anything I couldn't handle alone. A Ghosthunting group had wandered off into the woods only to fall into a pit when the ground collapsed beneath them. England did experience a wave of torrential rain and thunderstorms which often left the ground soft and unstable in unmaintained areas. Still, as soon as we received the call, I took off for the Kent countryside in Thunderbird One. Like I said before, this was technically a straightforward rescue with no requirement from Thunderbird Two. When John gave me the location details, I remember the name sticking out in my mind. There was just something unique about it. I didn't have any knowledge of the village and it's Ghostly reputation though. It was getting pretty late when flew over the countryside. Amongst the trees, I could see a settlement of lights ahead of me. They welcomed me to my destination. The Village itself looked like something out of a history book. The streets were modern, but the buildings had been preserved from the era they were built. It wasn't the first time I had visited a living time capsule. Still, I wasn't here to sightsee. Alerting the local authorities, I came into land, touching down in the Village square.

I followed protocol by reporting to base before getting an update from the officer in charge. He told me that a group of young Ghosthunters had wandered into the woods where they were told not to. They had been advised by a local environmentalist that the ground wasn't stable, but they ignored his warning. I figured it would be a standard rescue which required my mobile winch unit. Without further ado, I headed into Thunderbird One to grab the equipment that I needed. As I did that, I caught something in my peripheral vision. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I saw a shadow moving within the woods. It was pretty dark though so I chalked it up to my eyes adjusting to the dark. I grabbed the mobile winch, mounted my hoverbike and set off using my flashlight for guidance. I'm not going to lie to you, I'm a brave person. I mean I have to be for my job, but the woods had its own creepy story to tell. It was enough to keep me on alert. The trees curved inwards, blocking out the natural light around me. I felt enveloped once I was inside.

I must have traveled about a mile in when I was hit was a strange disorienting feeling. I didn't let it get to me at first. I was almost on top of the rescue site. I pressed on through the blanket of trees and foliage when I heard faint cries echoing ahead of me. I called out to them, asking them to guide me to them. They did just that. I eventually located the pit. It was dimly lit up from inside by the group's flashlights. It was enough to see where I could set up the mobile winch. I could just about make out the tapped group. There were five of them. Three women and two men. They appeared to be in my age group. They were all muddy, miserable and shaking from the cold. I couldn't see any signs of serious injury though. I knelt at the edge of the pit and called down to them.

"Listen, I'm from international Rescue. I need you to hoist yourselves up slowly. One at a time. I'll soon have you out in no time."

The voice of a frightened young man called up to me."Oh, thank god! Please hurry. I don't think we can stand it much longer down here!"

"Are any of you hurt at all?" I asked him.

"No." He replied. "We're all fine, but we keep hearing strange noises all around us. We just want to go home."

"Right. Send the women up first and watch out for the winch." I instructed them as I powered up the winch crane."

The rescue operation dragged on for a further half an hour. It never usually took so long, but the winch was operating slower than usual. The three women had been lifted to safety. It looked like I'd have everyone out in a matter of minutes. That's when I clocked the mysterious shadow figure again only this time, it wasn't within my peripheral vision. I had my eyes on it fully. It weaved through the trees, flowing like a cape in the wind. It wasn't a solid mass though. I could see the trees through its liquid-like structure. I wasn't frightened or anything. Just perplexed by its appearance. After a few minutes of watching it dance around, it vanished into the dark. One of the women had seen this apparition too and started to scream at the top of her lungs.

"That was a child! That was one of the children!" She screamed.

I looked at her with many questions. While the last man was being hoisted from the pit, the young investigator explained to me the many ghosts that were said to haunt Pluckley Village and the surrounding woods. She revealed that we were actually in an area known as "The Dering Wood" and claimed that a massacre happened here. I didn't want to waste any time in hearing what she had to say, but she was pretty insistent on explaining it to me. On the morning of November 1st, 1948, twenty people from the Maltman's area were found dead, eleven of whom were children. The bodies were found in a massive pile of human flesh and they didn't present any wounds. Since then, Many reported seeing strange lights coming from the forest on the night of Halloween, when the massacre took place. Their cause of death was never revealed. We hadn't seen lights as of yet though. As soon as the last man made it out of the pit, I packed the winch and suggested to the group that we get out of there. None of them opposed me.

Forming a line behind my hoverbike, I led them through the dense woods towards the Village. We didn't get very far when the next chain of events unfolded. One of the men stopped in his tracks and pointed towards a small clearing amongst the trees. I heard the other gasping in a mix of emotions. I stopped to see what the commotion was when I saw what it was that captivated them. Three light anomalies glided through the trees towards us. They were not your typical balls of light. They resembled the shape of small figures, almost child-like in stature. Their luminous presence lit up the trees around them. This was no trick of the mind. They were there. Just as I became enthralled by their appearance, the lights vanished right in front of us within a blink of an eye. The group muttered amongst themselves for a moment while I tried to gather my senses. The mysterious lights had left me with a static charge which surged through my body. That was enough for me, but the woods wasn't finished with us yet.

"OK everybody, calm down!" I said as the group ceased their muttering. "We've got get out of there before anything else catches us off guard."

They all agreed in a disappointed tone. I did sympathize with them though. This stuff was what they thrived for. Suddenly, the entire mood shifted from astonishment to pure terror. A loud, blood-curdling scream caught us all off guard. It sounded like a woman was being murdered not far from our position. The scream sounded all too real to me. It didn't sound ghostly at all. Growing concerned, I wanted to check it out, but one of the women stopped me from doing so.

"Don't go!" She said, unable to spit her words out. "It's a spirit. It's... It's..."

Then, a second gut-wrenching scream pierced my eardrums. This one was twice as loud and lasted much longer. I started to share the groups collective fear this time. What the hell was going on? Trying to keep my professional composure, I signaled the group to carry on. I told them to hold onto each other. I couldn't afford to lose them now. The screams persisted the further we traveled. I was adamant that we were being stalked by a banshee or something. That was when one of the men spotted the glow of a street light through the trees. We had made it. The screams finally faded once we made the relative safety of the street. The Police were patiently waiting for us. They too had heard the screams but they seemed unphased by their petrifying nature.

The group thanked me for their help, inviting me to participate in one of their Ghost hunts. I liked the idea but kindly passed on their offer. After updating the Constable, I returned to Thunderbird One with those screams still ringing in my head. I couldn't wrap my head around what happened. I'm even ashamed to say that I go scared too. So much so that it tarnished my record for bravery. I thought that was it though. Pluckley had other ideas. It hadn't finished with me just yet.

Loading my equipment into Thunderbird One, I heard what could be described as the sound of hooves trotting down a cobbled path. They echoed down the street behind me. I turned around expecting to see a horse and rider. I was partly right. What I saw next almost had me plant my jaw into the ground. A black horse sat there at the end of the square with fiery red eyes. Its rider was dressed in black too. I could make out the cloaked torso but there was no head. I know right? It sounds crazy. I watched in sheer terror as the headless horsemen tugged at the reigns, lifting its horse onto its hind legs. The horse cried into the night, slamming its hooves back into the ground. Within a split second, it began charging towards me at full speed. I had just seconds to react. My reflexes kicked in. I drew my machine pistol in an attempt to ward off the mysterious rider. I was ready for anything. I was in no mood for a prankster who wanted to scare me off. I was tired and pissed off, to say the least. Within seconds, the rider vanished before my eyes, dissolving into the night. The town's atmosphere reset itself. The eerie sounds ceased. That was enough for me. It was time to get the heck out of there. Climbing into my pilot seat, I blasted off into the sky. I couldn't wait to get home and share my experiences with the family. There was only one word I could use to describe that night. Incredible.

The following weeks seemed very uneventful after that night. I village and its history played on my new found interest of the Paranormal. I also regretted declining the groups offer to ghost hunt with them. Unfortunately, I have to prioritize work from pleasure, but I hope that one day I'll find the opportunity to return to the village of Pluckley and The Dering Wood. One day.

End


	2. A Nightmare In Time by Virgil Tracy

**Thunderbirds**

**The Halloween Collection 2019 Classic Edition**

**by Lee Homer**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved and do not belong to me. This year's Halloween special is set in the original universe. **

A Nightmare In Time

By Virgil Tracy

What is a time slip? Have any of you heard or experienced one? For those who haven't heard of this phenomena, a time slip is an event in which a person is momentarily transported into another period in history, whether it'll be in the past of the future. They happen at random and there hasn't been any scientific explanation for them. I've done some extensive research into it after I experienced one myself. I can never forget what I had experienced. I got to see my home in an unfamiliar and terrifying reality.

It started when I was en route to base after a rescue mission. Scott had flown on ahead in Thunderbird One, leaving me to enjoy the trip home. I was exhausted and hungry, but not to the point that I could eat a horse or anything. The skies were clear at the time and my visibility was better than ever, so when I received a report from Dad that there was storm brewing nearby, I was on the lookout for it. Flying through electronic storms is every pilot's worst nightmare. I've had my own experiences with them. All it takes to get me through them is a steady nerve and a steady rate of speed.

Everything was going well so far. Tracy Island was about to appear over the horizon any minute, prompting me to follow my landing procedure. That's when I caught my first glimpse of the electrical storm. It sounds pretty incredible to me now but I'm certain that this storm just appeared from nowhere. The clouds began to build with each passing second, almost enveloping the sky around me. The sunlight started to disappear, plunging my Thunderbird into darkness. It was like flying into night time without the natural transition. If it wasn't enough to take in at the time, I realized to my shock that I could no longer see the ocean beneath me. I couldn't even see the Island. It had vanished from my radar scope. My eyes looked over at my instruments. They were going haywire. It was as if some electromagnetic force was tampering with the readings. I had no bearing to go on. No sense of direction.

After trying to contact the Island with no real success, Multiple vibrations started to rock the cockpit. Those vibrations escalated into severe turbulence which left me battling with the controls. It was evident to me that I had somehow wound up in the eye of the storm. The strangest thing was that I didn't willingly fly into it. I tried hard to steer away from it yet somehow here I was flying blind. Lightning bolts struck the craft from all directions. Each energy surge tampered with my Thunderbird's systems. They were so powerful that at one point, I was debating about performing a crash dive. While I sat there and wrestled with the controls, the lighting barrage ceased leaving me with the strangest aspect of this storm. The part that frightened me. The clouds were swirling in a circular motion, creating a vortex-like formation. They had taken on a yellowish tinge which reminded me of a sand storm. The tunnel-shaped vortex extended into the horizon where I could make out an ominous light at the end. Suddenly, the vibrations dissipated, leaving me with an unnerving silence. The clouds continued to swirl in a counter-clockwise direction. I couldn't get to grips with this horrible sense of weightlessness. It felt like flying in a vacuum. I couldn't hear the sound of my engines roaring, nor could I hear the alarms that were sounding off in front of me. A strong static charge smacked me in the face. It felt like I had walked into an electrical cable, expecting to see burn marks appear across my cheeks. I couldn't see anything apart from the hairs that stood up on end.

This bizarre experience felt like an eternity but in actuality, it was only a few minutes. Something flicked on inside my head. I soon found myself back in the same scenario as I was when I entered the storm. The cockpit rocked violently again, the alarms pierced my eardrums once more and my muscled started to take the strain from the wheel. I couldn't endure this torment any longer. I had to get out of this storm. Using all my remaining power, I banked towards the Ocean, piercing the supernatural cloud. The Ocean soon came into view and leveled off at a safe height below the storm clouds. Something about the scene didn't seem quite right. Tracy Island was there, but it somehow looked different. It had a wild and untamed look to it as if it was just another ordinary uninhabitable island. I made a few passes over it to see if I could make out the villa below. I couldn't see anything. I chalked it up to nerves after my encounter with the storm. It was real enough to leave any pilot in a state of hysteria.

Now, I have a real problem with my curiosity. It always gets the better of me when it comes to circumstances like these. I just had to know what it was I was dealing with here. Banking down for another pass, My felt my curiosity change into a gut-wrenching sensation. The island was completely uninhabitable. As I brought my Thunderbird down towards the runway, my heart leaped into my mouth. No wonder I couldn't see the villa from up high. It had been destroyed. The Roundhouse, the Lounge and Swimming pool, The Control room that overlooked the runway. It was all gone. My initial reaction was that some foreign power had discovered the island and destroyed it with missiles. It sounds ludicrous now of course, but you should have seen it. Setting down on the runway, I left Thunderbird Two and proceeded to investigate on my hoverbike. The Hangar door was completely buried in rock, triggered by a resulting landslide. There was no way I could get in.

Remembering a short cut up to the Villa, I located a nearby trail and followed it up the cliff face towards the main Villa. I arrived to see my home in ruins. The wind whistled eerily through the rubble and glass shards. The Swimming Pool had dried up. All it contained now was debris and blood. My heartfelt heavy as the thick air entered my lungs. Struggling to breathe, I crawled through sharp and jagged debris until I located my Father's desk. The family portraits had been blown from the wall. Their cables dangled from the blast marks in the wall. The furniture lay strewn across the ground, my Piano had its keys missing with their hammers snapped in two and my father's desk was coated in glass and dust. I called out in a panic to see if there were any survivors. I mistook my echoes for replies. With nothing but sorrow and fear in my heart, I sat there in my father's chair completely isolated and alone.

Struggling to take in what had transpired here, I caught a glimpse of a tattered newspaper article which flapped about in the breeze. I reached over to grab it only to be taken aback by its headline. It said in big bold letters;

_**"International Rescue Exposed. Eastern Powers declare an attack on Island!" **_

The article summed up how International Rescue had pissed off a Middle Eastern Dictator after violating their airspace to carry out a rescue. It wasn't hard to piece together what happened after that only I couldn't understand how we could have been so ignorant. Somehow, this didn't feel like my timeline at all. Everything was wrong. The sounds, the smells, and the environment didn't match the ones I was used to. Of course, they wouldn't be if your home had been nuked by a world power. Still, I needed to see if my intuition was correct. Looking at the paper, I looked for a publication date. The issued date of the article said _"October 10h 2071." _I had somehow arrived Seven years into the future. Was that storm a time vortex? If that was the case then how did I happen to stumble into it? I had to get out of there as quick as possible. So many things raced through my mind at that particular moment. Would I be able to leave this hell? Would I be able to get back to my own time? I felt it was best to exit the way I came in as I wasn't prepared to run into anything else.

After painfully crawling out of the Villa, I hopped on my hoverbike and returned to the trail. My mind started to play tricks on me. While in my heightened state of fear, my eyes began to make out humanoid shapes in the dark. I didn't stop to see if they were real or not but they were shifting around me Their cries slipped through my ears.

"Virgil..." "Help us..." "So much pain..." "Help us please!" "Help us, Virgil!"

I eventually returned to Thunderbird Two which thankfully hadn't been touched or destroyed by anything creepy. As soon as entered the lower hatch, I fired her up and prepared to lift off. I couldn't wait to leave this hell behind. Igniting the thrusters, I took off for the night's sky, leaving the dead island below. I left with a new chilling memory that was going to scar me for the rest of my life. I didn't have the time to dwell on it though. My main priority was to relocate the time storm. It seemed futile at first. Searching for this freak storm was like looking for a needle in a haystack. I pierced the cloud layers only to see the stars. I had plenty of fuel left to comb the area but I still needed to watch it.

After flying aimlessly through a sea of stars, my attention was drawn towards a bright flash of orange light. My instinct was to fly towards it. I was willing to follow any lead if it meant I could get out of here. Fortunately, my anxiety fuelled my determination. My Flight or Fight reflex had kicked in from the moment I took off. You could say I was running away from a nightmare but I was fighting to get home. Fortunately, Luck was on my side. The time storm re-materialized in front of me. It's lightning bolts and circular clouds drew me in. I never considered the possibility that I could end up somewhere else in time. To tell you the truth, I wasn't even thinking about it at that. I relied on Tracy luck to guide me home. Entering the storm, things began to take a violent turn once more. The cockpit shook about worse than the first time. I was ready for it this time. Battling the controls, I took Thunderbird Two deep into the storm without relying on my instruments. The time flight continued for Ten minutes until I watched it evaporate around me.

I found myself in a more familiar setting. The Sun was shining, it's rays bounced off the ocean below. My instruments returned to normal as I dipped below the cloud layer. So far so good. Everything looked the same before I left it. Then the island came into view. I did feel hesitant at first, but I was greeted with a message that settled my nerves.

_"Base-calling Thunderbird Two. Base-calling Thunderbird Two. Come in Virgil?" _

I didn't waste a second in replying. "Base from Thunderbird Two. I'm okay, Father. I'll be coming into land in a few minutes."

"_FAB. What happened up there? Brains said that he lost you on the radar for nearly Thirty minutes." _Dad stated.

"Father, I can't even begin to explain," I replied.

But I did explain it to him. I told him everything. The time storm, the destroyed island. Everything. To my surprise, he didn't react or anything. Instead, he told me to look into it with Brains who was more of a believer than he was. Brains believed in the theory that there was a vast multiverse out there and that these freak storms were corridors to these other dimensional plains. My experience had taken me into the future, but was it our future? Or did I experience the tragic fate of International Rescue in another dimension? There was too much for my mind to take in. After that day, I returned to my normal routine with an open mind. I've never encountered another time storm since and I hope to never experience one again.


	3. Stalked in Chicago by Alan Tracy

**Thunderbirds**

**The Halloween Collection 2019 Classic Edition**

**by Lee Homer**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved and do not belong to me. This year's Halloween special is set in the original universe. **

Stalked in Chicago

By Alan Tracy

Every so often in the year, I'm able to take some time off from my duties at the base. I had completed another tour of duty up in Thunderbird Five which couldn't have come soon enough. The first thing on my agenda was to book a little vacation where I could unwind for a few days. Unfortunately, my luck ran out faster than I could shake a stick at. So I had to settle for a day trip to the mainland instead. Usually, when I get to take a trip across the ocean, I'd always bring Tin-Tin with me so we could spend some quality time together. We often went for the tropical island locations, but this time we decided to go somewhere else. She picked Chicago as she wanted to try the pizza there. We hadn't been there before so it sounded like a neat idea. Excited for the trip, we packed some things and set off the following day. The travel didn't take too long. I was even able to reserve a space at the airport for our jet. Dad's connections came in handy like that.

The flight took up most of the morning thanks to complications in the weather, but we were fortunate enough to make most of the afternoon. We spent the day visiting museums, shopping outlets, and the occasional coffee shop. It was proving to be a magical day until the sun began to set. I had no problem flying us home in the middle of the night, but we both agreed that couldn't make the trip home without getting something to eat first. We walked around for a while until we found a nice little restaurant on the corner. It wasn't busy which was perfect for us. The waiter led us to a nice table by the window. It was cozily lit with candles setting a romantic tone for the pair of us. I won't delve too much into the mushy details. Let's just say, she looked amazing in the candlelight.

We were in there for an hour before we received our orders. While I prepared to tuck into my meal, I couldn't shake the bizarre feeling that we were being watched from afar. It almost came out of nowhere. I didn't want to let it get the better of me however so I directed all of my attention on Tin-Tin. She felt more comfortable as she sat there completely oblivious to what I was experiencing. After taking a bite of my food, I felt another chill crawl down my spine. Something had compelled me to look out of the window. It had gotten eerie outside all of a sudden. The streets were empty. Across the street, I could see the silhouette of a man standing there on the street underneath a street light. He was wearing a dark jacket with matching jeans and boots. His face was completely masked in shadow. I tried not to pay any attention to him, but my paranoia wasn't taking it laying down. Tin-Tin knew something was troubling me at this point.

"Alan? Earth to Alan? Are you there?" She asked me playfully. "What's wrong?"

I looked over at her with a false assuring smile. "Nothing honey. I thought I saw somebody out there but it's nothing. Now, what were you saying?"

Tin-Tin wasn't convinced. "I was saying how you've splashed out a lot on me today. I can fly the jet back. Why don't you rest on the flight home?"

"No, it's okay. I can manage it." I replied as my eyes were drawn to the window again.

My gut started to sink at the sight of this mysterious figure. I could feel his eyes staring at us. All the red flags were sounding in my head only I didn't know what to do about it. I watched on as the figure slowly turned to walk down the street. I scowled at him until he was out of my line of sight. I started to relax, returning to our cozy environment. Eventually, I forgot about it altogether. It was getting late and the restaurant's owner announced that he was going to close soon. I paid the bill and we called it a night. The airstrip was a short drive from our location, but we had to walk a couple of blocks down the street where our hire car was parked.

There was an uncomfortable nip in the air. The cool temperature accompanied us on our walk down the darkened streets. Now like I said earlier, I had completely forgotten about the strange figure I had seen on the street. I could feel Tin-Tin wrap her arm around my mine. By this point, her mind started to play tricks too. We stopped outside a late-night convenience store for a moment to ask for directions. Somehow, the city streets took on a different formation in the dark. While I was asking the store clerk for his help, I could hear Tin-Tin pacing up and down the store trying to avoid the window. It struck me as strange that she would react this way so suddenly. I approached her to see if she was alright. She conveyed a look of unease which mirrored my feelings from earlier on.

"Tin-Tin, what's wrong?" I asked her.

"I think we're being followed." She whispered. "I'm sure I heard footsteps before we came in here."

I assured that we were in no danger despite my anxiety levels spiking. "I know where to go now. We'll be at the car in no time. It's just a couple of blocks away."

"Let's hurry up, Alan?" She replied uncomfortably. "I don't want to be out here much longer."

I didn't blame her for feeling so spooked. Chicago was known for its crime rates throughout history, but it wasn't that statistic which made us uncomfortable. We continued our walk into the night in the mindset that we would reach our car in no time. We approached a crosswalk which appeared to be deserted. There was nobody about except for us when we heard the sound of footsteps echoing behind us. Tin-Tin and I both acknowledged the sound and decided to pick up the pace. Suddenly, we were caught off guard by a voice which called out to us.

"Tin-Tin. I knew that was you. It's been a long time."

Tin-Tin froze in the direction of the voice. I spun round to comfort her when I saw the same eerie figure from earlier. He was standing there on the opposite side of the street to us. I couldn't see his face clearly, but my eyes made out a blunt object in his hand. It quickly deduced that it was a knife. I wanted to rush over there and kick his ass, but Tin-Tin's safety was my priority. As we turned to run, the man called out to us again.

"Please don't run from me? I won't hurt you. I just want to see your beautiful smile again? Come here?"

"Leave me alone you creep!" Tin-Tin screamed.

"You heard the lady!" I warned him. "Leave us alone or we'll call the police!"

The man didn't reply. Instead, he started to laugh loudly at us. My threat didn't phase him whatsoever. Instead, he stated that he was going to kill me and take Tin-Tin away with him. I wasn't going to let that happen. I grabbed Tin-Tin firmly by her hand and together we sped down the street. Tin-Tin threw off her heels so she could get into a sprint with me all the while the man chased us down the street. He continued to taunt us with his cackling laugh.

"You can't run forever my beautiful flower. You were meant for me. You are my love."

I told her to keep running and to never look back. We tried our best to run up ahead, keeping some distance between him and us. We came across a local park which we had earlier in the day. This came to some sort of relief as it meant we were not far from the parking lot. I had kept a gun in the glove compartment of the car. All I had to do was reach for it so I could scare the man off. All we had to do was cut through the park. He was still behind us though. We could hear him gaining on us. Although out of breath, we headed into the pitch dark parklands. I knew we could use this to our advantage with the slim chance of losing our assailant. It was more difficult than I thought, having to tiptoe blindly through a park without any light source. I could faintly make out the trees as the street lights lit up their shadows from behind. For the next few minutes, we were alone in complete silence. A false sense of security set in. Did we finally lose him? Turns out he was in the park with us.

We inched our way closer towards the trees when we heard his disturbed voice again. This time it sounded like he was closer to us.

"Where are you? You can't hide from me, Tin-Tin."

Tin-Tin was about to scream, but I clasped my hand over her mouth in time. She nearly gave our position away. Stifling her screams, I whispered into her ear, helping her to regulate her breathing.

"Take it easy. Deep breaths. We're almost at the car. Don't scream or he'll find us." I whispered, gently removing my hand from her mouth.

"I'm sorry. You're right." She replied.

"Don't apologize. We're going to be okay." I assured her. "Come on, let's go."

Stealthily, we approached the treeline where we soon spotted the parking lot. We were in the clear. It was all or nothing. Climbing over the wall, we legged it across the street towards our car. The strange man heard us and picked up the chase. When we arrived at the car, I scrambled for my key code to open the door. I could hear him approaching us from the park. The fallen leaves crunched under his boots. Opening the door, I forced Tin-Tin into the passenger seat. I leaned in the car and reached for my gun. The Man must have seen me reach for it because he suddenly stopped there in his tracks. I turned to face him, aiming my gun at his hand. This time, I could see his features. He looked to be our age but was disheveled in appearance. His face was covered in dirty matted hair. His clothes hung off his body and his hands were covered in scratch marks. He stood there observing me firearm for a moment.

"Beat it, creep!" I said. "I've had enough of your crap tonight. Come any closer and I'll shoot you!"

The Man smiled, revealing a rotten set of teeth. With a vacant expression on his face, he began to goad me into pulling the trigger.

"Go on then. Pull that trigger." He laughed. "You won't kill me. You haven't got it in you."

"Don't test me, buddy!" I growled. "I'll do it."

"Why did Tin-Tin choose you over me? She hurt me when we were at University together. She hurt me bad. I loved her. I cherished her and I'll never get over it!"

I was losing my patience. I felt the muscles in my chest begin to tighten. "Walk away now!"

He took a step towards me. "Give her to me. Give me my love and I will let you live."

My blood started to boil. "Beat it! Last chance!"

The man took a step forward to glance at Tin-Tin. He smiled creepily at her with the intent of grabbing her.

"I must have you, Tin-Tin. I've been dreaming of this day. When I saw you in the museum earlier, I knew it was a sign that you would come back to me. Come with me. Please?"

I had enough. I aimed my gun at the knife he was holding and fired. All it took was one shot to get my point across. The Man reacted as he watched his knife bounce on the ground. His whole demeanor transformed right in front of us. I was expecting him to charge at me in rage, but instead, he chose to run in fear. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he legged it into the night. I stood there to process what had happened when Tin-Tin screamed at me to get into the car. We pulled out of the parking lot, leaving that creepy street in our rear-view mirror. I flew us home that night as promised.

We made the trip home in complete silence, both stunned by what had happened. Tin-Tin wouldn't talk to me for a few days until she felt ready to open up about it. I, on the other hand, told my father about it. He was pissed off about it but then he told me that I had acted appropriately. Before I turned in for the night, he advised me that we never go to Chicago again. I couldn't agree more with him. Eventually, Tin-Tin opened up to me about it after some encouragement from Kyrano. She was dating a fellow student while she was studying for her Science degree. His name was David and she claimed that he was a little too possessive over her. When she broke up with him, he took it painfully hard. So he began to stalk her on campus. It got too much for her, so she got a transfer to another university campus where she could carry on with her studies.

Tin-Tin has had quite a history with men who have admired her. Sure I've been jealous when they come to the island to visit her, but I don't care. My brother's often mock me for my jealousy all the time, but after what happened in Chicago, I couldn't care what they have to say about me. Tin-Tin may have a little following of guys, but they'll never look out for her or care about her the same way that I do. I guess in hindsight, I too am a little possessive like David, only I have her interest at heart. Our encounter with David made us realize one thing. We belong together and that's the way it'll always be. I just hope David will find get the help he needs and I hope that we'll never meet again.

END


	4. Terror At Sea by Gordon Tracy

**Thunderbirds**

**The Halloween Collection 2019 Classic Edition**

**by Lee Homer**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved and do not belong to me. This year's Halloween special is set in the original universe. **

Terror At Sea

By Gordon Tracy

This isn't a story about ancient mythical sea creatures. All I can say is that I was attacked by something that didn't belong at the bottom of the sea. I don't know what it was. To this day I still don't have the answers, but the events in question have lingered with me ever since forever haunting my memories. It all happened during one of my earliest missions which took place in the North Sea. Thunderbird Four had seen little action back then so she was still relatively new to deep sea rescues. We had received a distress call from a submarine which had been struck by a mysterious force which left it stranded at the bottom of the sea. John reported that its engines were badly damaged and that the crew was taking on water with no access to the escape hatch. Dad didn't think twice is getting the Thunderbirds airborne. Scott took off for the north sea in Thunderbird One while I was briefed of the situation with Virgil. The plan was straight forward enough. Virgil would simply fly me out to the North Sea, drop the pod and I would carry the submarine to the surface in Thunderbird Four. Regrettably, it didn't pan out that way at all.

The whole rescue operation felt cursed from the moment Thunderbird Two took to the sky. I had finished my checks in the pod when Scott reported his findings from the danger zone. He didn't seem too concerned in his transmission, but he did mention one thing that seemed rather odd.

"_Thunderbird Two from Thunderbird One. I've completed a sonar sweep of the danger zone. The Submarine is sitting on the ocean floor over an ocean trench. I detected another blip on the scanner but it could be a false reading. Should be a straight forward recovery job for Thunderbird Four."_

"FAB," Virgil responded. "We'll be approaching the danger zone in Twenty Minutes."

I didn't know why Scott's message bothered me, but I guess you could call it a premonition or something like that. I returned to my preparations for the rest of the journey. We eventually arrived at the danger zone when I prepared myself for the drop. Virgil deployed the pod and I could feel it smacking the waves beneath me. The flap door lowered before the launch ramp dipped itself into the water. I fired my engines and penetrated the surface of the ocean. Once underneath the waves, I had to rely on my searchlight for navigation. All I had to go on was the data given to me by Thunderbird One. As before, I often felt isolated under the sea. As an Aquanaut, you are subjected to similar conditions and psychological reactions that Astronauts face when in Space. They can be disorienting, but years of training does prepare you for it. I eventually discovered the Submarine wreck when it appeared on my radar. I then made a visual sighting of it when part of it's damaged hull appeared in the beam of my searchlight. The Submarine was a repurposed ex WASP Vessel. I recognized it's designed. It was bought by the International Science Board and was commissioned to examine deep-sea life in our waters. It was an old vessel that should have gone to the scrapyard if anything. It was in one hell of a state.

At first, I thought it had been dented by the impact, but as I moved in for a closer inspection, I realized that something wasn't right. The first thing I discovered was a set of three giant scratch marks which pierced the lower section of the submarine. They resembled three giant claw marks like as if something had grabbed hold of it. The top section remained intact except for the damaged exit hatch. I needed to find out the condition of the crew. I send out a transmission on the same channel they used to call for help.

"ISB Sub this is International Rescue. Do you read me?"

After a few seconds of white noise, a husky voice replied to my message. "_International Rescue, this is Captain Lawrence of ISB-23. We are so glad to see you." _

"What's the situation there, Captain?" I asked him.

"_We've managed to seal up the hull breach, but the water has fried our electrics. We can't use the emergency airlock and our escape capsule has been destroyed. We need immediate assistance."_

"Understood. What happened down here?"

I sensed the Captain's reluctance over the radio. Either he couldn't tell me or he didn't want to. Never the less, I had to know.

"Captain? Do you read me?" I continued.

The Captain's voice responded. _"I don't think you'll believe me if I told you, International Rescue. We were surveying the ocean bed when we were attacked by a giant sea monster. It grabbed our submarine when we tried to outrun it."_

My eyes widened at his message. Did I hear him correctly? "Captain, please confirm? Did you say it was a monster?"

"_Affirmative. I know it sounds crazy, but my whole crew can confirm it. You need to hurry!"_

Whether I believed it or not, I needed to get the crew out of there. I formulated a plan in my head. One that would give the crew an exit. There was no way I could retrieve the sub. It was so old that any damage would have weakened its hull. Instead, I planned to cut the main hatch open with my acetylene torch cutter. I informed the crew of my plan, instructing them to put on their scuba diving gear. The Captain informed me that there was six of them onboard. It didn't seem too bad. I had enough room for them swim aboard Thunderbird Four. I moved towards the top hatch at a slow speed, angling my Thunderbird carefully. I activated my acetylene torch and began cutting through the damaged hull. This is when the strange stuff began. I hadn't gotten far into my work when I heard a strange growl cut through the waves around me. I shut off my torch for the moment only to hear nothing. I deduced that the Captain's monster report was on my mind and that I was simply over thinking things. I was wrong. The strange sound echoed again. This time I was able to pin point the direction of where it was coming from.

All of a sudden, I didn't feel safe. I didn't realize just how exposed I was in this part of the ocean. I didn't know how to approach this sound. I wasn't alone anymore. Something had entered the scene with me. The growling sound morphed into a hiss. I could see it's shadow swimming about in the darkness. It was circling me. Perhaps to see what it made of me. Something told me that it was drawn to the light of my torch so I switched it off along with my searchlight. I sat there in complete darkness hoping to catch a glimpse of the thing that was down here with me. Frustratingly I could only make out its shape. I didn't have time for this. The Subs crew were depending on me to get them out. I flicked on my searchlight again only catch something horrifying in the beam.

I saw two bright angry red eyes glaring back at me. I was now staring into the eyes of a predator which was about to pounce on me. The creature was reptilian in appearance. It's scales shimmered in my searchlight, it's gills pulsated like a beating heart and it displayed a menacing set of teeth bigger than that of a Great White Shark. Before I could make a move, it raised its giant arms revealing four large claws on each of them. It hissed at me once more with its intentions made clear. It saw me as its next prey and I wasn't going to sit here and become fish food. I dived out of the way just as the creature made its attack. It missed my tail fin by inches. I didn't take it long to realize that I could outrun it. It flipped round to face me again extending its claws out towards me. I tried to move out of its way again but I was taken down by a loud crunching sound which shook my cabin. It had grabbed my left chemical engine, suspending Thunderbird Four in its tight grip. I tried to wriggle myself free of its grip with little success. Suddenly, I had an idea which was going to work. Like all creatures on this planet, it had to feel pain. I threw the switch on the thrusters and fired a huge burst of flames right into its face. It screamed in agony, releasing me from its grip. I sped away as fast as I could before it could recover.

It hissed violently behind me while I frantically updated my brother of my predicament. Scott optioned to make an aerial attack on the creature, but he neglected to factor in the fact that he could hit the stranded submarine. Suddenly, an idea presented itself. I was going to lead the creature into the ocean trench itself, trapping it there. It wasn't going to be easy, but Thunderbird Four was the right size to lure the serpent into a trap. I spun around, flashing my lights in the creature's eyes. It reacted exactly the way I wanted it to. For this plan to work, I needed to keep out of reach of the creature's claws as much as possible. I started to taunt it vigorously with my searchlight, leading it closer and closer to the trench. I watched my directions and speed while it continued to growl at me. It swiped away blindly trying to swat me like a fly. On a few occasions, it almost hit me. My heart began to run a marathon when I reached the entrance to the trench. Two questions entered my mind at that moment. Was my plan going to work? Or was it going to end in my destruction?

I reduced power, stopping myself in the center of the trench. The creature hesitated. It stopped outside the entrance to the trench and stared at me. Did it know what I was planning? I started to grow frustrated at the thought that this thing could anticipate my moves. Yet, I continued to taunt it.

"Come on, ugly. Come and get me!"

Something clicked inside the creature's head. It roared louder than a jet engine as it clawed its way into the trench. I hovered my thumb over the thruster switch as it bolted towards me. It all needed to be planned perfectly. On the count of five, I fired up my motors, pulling out of the trench. The creature missed me my seconds, planting its face into the seabed. As soon as I reached a safe distance, I spun round to face the trench for the last time. The creature lifted itself with a snarl. It looked at me with a lust for death. It hungered for my demise. but I wasn't going to give it the satisfaction. I fired a volley of missiles at the bedrock which made the trench. The resulting explosions forced tons of rock to fall on the creature, knocking it down into the trench for good. I could hear it's pain cries from within a plume of dust. Its agonizing wail ceased after a few seconds. I sat there and examined the result of my handy work. I couldn't shake the guilt that came with my achievement. Despite what it tried to do, it was a living creature that I had to kill.

Still, my work wasn't finished and I swiftly returned to the submarine. Giving the all-clear, the trapped men left their submarine. Once they were all safely aboard my Sub, I took them up to the surface where Thunderbird Two's escape capsule awaited them. The rescue operation was over, but my guilt remained with me. On the trip back to base, I explained to Virgil what had happened down there. He assured me that I did the right thing, referencing the time we were up against Giant Alligators. I didn't kill them, but I did what had to be done. It made me feel better to the point I could eventually put it to rest.

I'm telling this story now because I made a recent discovery when watching a documentary about lost sea creatures. A monstrous creature resembling the one I encountered appeared in the program. It was an old dinosaur from prehistoric earth which was able to survive by using the deep underwater caverns for shelter. They were known for their deep-sea attacks on shipping, but nobody wanted to deal with the problem. It goes to show that our Oceans remain a mystery. Beneath our waves are a never-ending trove of secrets just waiting to be unlocked. Some will be amazing discoveries and others will undoubtedly be terrifying. As for myself, however, I hope I don't encounter any more monsters anytime soon.

END


	5. The Visitation by John Tracy

**Thunderbirds**

**The Halloween Collection 2019 Classic Edition**

**by Lee Homer**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved and do not belong to me. This year's Halloween special is set in the original universe. **

The Visitation

By John Tracy

Satellite monitoring duty has to be the most solitary part of International Rescue. It is my job to monitor transmissions from all over the world. It sounds simple of course, but it does get monotonous over six months. When you're up there in Earth's orbit, those radio transmissions are the only company you'll have. Which is why when it comes to the end of a shift, I plan my six months at home accordingly. Usually, I'd spend my days at home by the pool or taking trips to the mainland as I'm rarely ever called out on rescue missions. I was coming to the end of another shift when this bizarre and terrifying encounter began.

It started in the early hours of the morning when I was struggling to sleep in my cabin. It had already packed my bag ready for Thunderbird Three's arrival so I could use the extra time to catch up on some well-needed sleep. While I lay there in mid slumber, I could hear an odd sound echoing from the main control room. I didn't think much of it at first. I was overly tired at the time and wasn't paying full attention to the sound. Perhaps it was a garbled communication? I wanted to sleep, but I knew there wasn't any harm in checking it out first. I was technically still on duty anyway. I put on my dress robe and stepped out into the control room. The sound was coming from one of the transmitter consoles. I couldn't make out a message from the inaudible sound, however. All I could hear was a sequence of clicking noises followed by the occasional beep. I didn't know what to make of it, but I didn't worry myself over it and returned to my bed.

I awoke to my alarm around about 7 am when a more familiar call caught my attention. It was Alan reporting in from the base.

"_Base to Thunderbird Five. Do you read me?"_

I picked up my microphone and replied with a heavy yawn. "Morning, Alan. Sorry, I was just waking up. I didn't sleep very well."

"_Don't worry about it. I'll arrive at Thunderbird Five at Thirteen Hundred Hours." _Alan replied._ "Brains said he picked up something weird on radar and wanted to check it out first before I can blast off. It shouldn't take long."_

For a moment, I felt compelled to tell Alan about the weird sound that I heard but chose to drop it. As soon as he cut off the transmission, I returned to my room to get dressed. My mind began to wander off. Just what was it that Brains detected back on the Island? My morning passed by quickly and quietly. By Noon, I was ready to leave my post. As I waited by the airlock, I started to feel a strange sensation that I couldn't begin to explain. It was as if something had changed the entire atmosphere removing my comfort zone from around me. That was when the odd clicking sound returned. All of my radio channels opened switched on in unison, allowing the sounds to completely flood the station. I raced over towards the console, fighting the deafening sounds. I couldn't switch off the monitor. Somehow it just wasn't possible. The clicks and beeps bounced around the control room in a cycle. I tried to work out if they meant anything at all. Was it a severe malfunction? Could it have been a hacker trying to infiltrate International Rescue?

Amongst the blanket of noise, I tried to contact the Island to see if they could hear it too. I couldn't reach them. This unknown transmission had taken over every frequency channel. I was cut off from the planet. I no longer felt isolated. I felt imprisoned. I tried to gather my thoughts and keep my wits together while the sounds dominated the airwaves. A little voice in my head was telling me that something else was coming and I wasn't alone after all. That was when my eyes caught a glimpse at a sudden ball of bright light which materialized outside. I walked over towards the observation window to investigate the source of this light while the clicking sounds continued. The light glowed in a radiant purple hue. It began to sparkle in sharp colors as it grew closer towards me. It made no noise yet I could hear a dull humming sound which played havoc with my senses. It eventually morphed into a droning sound which hurt my ears.

I felt my skin tingle as if I had been hit by an electrical surge. My last thought was that this light was responsible for the unidentified clicking sounds. It must have been a method of communication. I remained paralyzed on the platform when the strange light pierced the hull. It had now enveloped the control room, surrounding me in its purple glow. I couldn't move and I couldn't speak. All I could do was cry out in my head at how frightened I was by this otherworldly experience.

Eventually, I regained mobility in my lower neck. I could see a form materializing within the light. Its distinctive shape drew my attention towards it. I still couldn't react to what I was seeing. A figure emerged from the light. It was child-like in appearance and very skinny with dark grey skin and two large black bulbous eyes. It had four long claw-like fingers which almost touched the ground. I couldn't make out any other facial features apart from the eyes. I observed the creature as it slowly shifted towards me. Two other beings appeared behind the first one. Both of them had identical features on their heads. They circled me in a ritualistic manner. I felt like a specimen being studied in a cage. I couldn't control the flurry of thoughts that raced through my brain. What did they want with me? Were they going to kill me? Suddenly, the three beings started to jerk their heads in unison. They appeared to be talking to each other. Probably to discuss what it was they were going to do with me. After a few minutes of this, they made their intentions clear.

One of the beings stepped forward, placing its claw-like fingers on my forehead. It felt as if my face was being stroked by an Eel. The sensation was extremely unpleasant, to say the least. Yet as I stood there, I heard a reassuring voice which told me to stay calm. I found that oddly comforting. Time seemed to slow down around me and there was nothing I could do about it. I felt at ease yet helpless at the same time. The three beings then stopped their examinations before returning to the blinding light from where they came. Within a split second. They were gone and I fell to the floor like a blob of jelly. It took me a few minutes to regain control of my limbs. While I lay there on the floor, I couldn't help but notice how everything returned to how it was before. The horrible sounds had ceased, the static energy no longer filled the air. It was all gone within a blink of an eye. Eventually, I managed to pick myself up off the floor when Alan's voice appeared over the monitor.

"_Thunderbird Three calling Thunderbird Five. Do you read me, John!"_

Still dazed by my ordeal, I picked up the microphone to answer my brother.

"Thunderbird Five to...to Thunderbird Three. I'm here Alan."

I was quite surprised to hear what Alan had to say next. _"Oh thank god! We were worried sick! We were out of contact with you for over an hour! What happened up there?"_

Quite frankly, I didn't know what to tell him. All I wanted to do at that point was pass out. I felt very disoriented and sore all over like I had been hit by a truck at full speed. I could see Thunderbird Three on my radar which told me that Alan wasn't very far. I needed to gather my composure quickly before he could dock.

"I'm not sure. Maybe there was a power surge?" I replied trying to cover my fear. "It must have knocked me unconscious when I was trying to fix it."

I don't think he bought that explanation at all, but it was all I could think of. Cutting off the transmission, I noticed that an hour had indeed passed. How was that possible? The whole encounter only lasted a matter of minutes. I found it difficult to take it all in. I just wanted to go home.

Thunderbird Three finally docked with the station. I waited by the airlock with my bag anxious to get off this station. As soon as Alan appeared on the other side of the airlock, he gasped at my disheveled complexion.

"John, what happened to your face? I've never seen burn marks like that before! Are you hurt?"

I was taken back by his comment. My face didn't ache or anything. It certainly didn't feel like it was burning up either. My body ached like hell though and that was enough for me. I looked at him blankly and replied;

"I just want to go home."

Silently, I carried my bag towards Thunderbird Three all the while Alan looked on at me with concern. I touched down on the island a few hours later. Everyone was eager to greet me but I just wanted to go to my room. When I got to my room, I finally caught a glimpse of my face in my bedside mirror. I was mystified by the unusual burn marks that I had sustained. I was completely covered in small circular burn marks. They started from my cheeks and ran down to my shoulders. As I said, I wasn't in any pain, so what were these bizarre marks? I fell asleep around 9 pm which was early for me. I just didn't have the energy to interact with my family. I knew that they were concerned for me. I could hear them all talking about me in the other room. I figured Alan must have said something to them after I left the station.

I didn't sleep well that night, however. I had the start in a series of horrific dreams that depicted something menacing. I saw those three beings again. Only this time, I was no longer aboard Thunderbird Five. I was lying down on a cold metal table which sat in the center of a darkened room. The only lights I could see were from a set of lamps that hung above me. I couldn't move, but I did have my wits about me. The beings had taken me somewhere for examination. They suddenly emerged from the shadows around me. I could hear one of them fumbling around with some metallic objects. It drifted over to me, dangling a surgical scalpel in front of my face. I could hear myself screaming at the top of my lungs only it was inaudible to them. Something made the second Alien change it's mind though. It reached out to stop the first being from cutting me open. Perhaps it had another idea it wanted to try. I could hear them talking to me through my mind. They told me to relax and to comply with them otherwise I would make things worse on myself. Sounds quite comforting, I know.

The dream ended with the beings jabbing a series of needles into my face. For the first time since the incident, I felt pain more excruciating than any pain I've had before. I fell out of bed, screaming in agony. My face was on fire. It felt like my face had been dunked in a volcano. Hearing my screams, Dad and Scott burst into my room. The took me to the sick room where Brains waited for me. I stayed there for the rest of the night telling him my story. I told him everything and was quite surprised by his reaction. Brains genuinely believed me and claimed that I had experienced an Alien abduction. I know it sounds completely insane to just come out with such a thing, but I believe him. Throughout history, there have been recorded sightings of this very phenomena. It's not hard to imagine that advanced beings have studied our race for centuries. Who knows what their intentions are? Maybe their intentions are hostile or maybe they come here purely for study purposes?

As the weeks progressed, My mind eventually accepted the ordeal. I tried to go about daily life as I usually would but at times I'd often get the feeling that they were watching me. I'm due to relieve Alan in the space station next month. For the first time in my life, I can say that I don't want to go back up there. What if they'll find me again? What will they do to me?

End


	6. The Sacrifice by Lady Penelope

**Thunderbirds**

**The Halloween Collection 2019 Classic Edition**

**by Lee Homer**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved and do not belong to me. This year's Halloween special is set in the original universe. **

The Sacrifice

By Lady Penelope

I've just arrived home from one of the most sinister incidents that I've ever had to endure. I've not long reported it to the local police since our return from the hospital, but what I've witnessed has shaken me to the bone. I've had my experiences with death and peril. I've been kidnapped, I've been tied up by madmen on numerous occasions, I've faced hijackings, I was even trapped inside a runaway cable car. In all of those incidences, I've stared death in the face. My esteemed associates have also faced the same perilous incidents at some point in their lives, yet I've never encountered anything like this before. I have spent the night out there in the English countryside. I cannot shake the events that transpired in a rural area of Britain known as Wychwood Forest.

It all started when we were assigned to escort one of my associates to his hotel in a nearby town. His name was Sir Bernard Kingston, a scientist that was carrying a top-secret document to a professor at Oxford University. When we arrived at his hotel, I already have my reservations about this assignment. On paper, it didn't seem like anything too strenuous, but sensitive documents were known targets for corrupt businessmen and industrial terrorists. In this day in age, one can never be too careful. Before Sir Bernard could leave FAB One, I decided to take one extra precaution. To him, it was a symbolic Saint Christopher which he wore under his lapel but It was one of the tracking devices that I used on all of my associates. I wanted to keep my eye on him.

"Lady Penelope, I am humbled by this simple gesture. I can't thank you enough for your hospitality." He smiled.

"It was my pleasure, St Bernard," I replied. "Do take care and if you need anything, do not hesitate to call me."

We headed out of the town and headed home. We soon surrounded ourselves in darkness with only FAB One's headlights guiding the way. Parker switched on the radio so I could listen to the local newscast. The stories were pretty standard for the evening edition, but one report caught my attention.

_"Oxfordshire Police have released a statement warning locals of an increase in Cult activity. Authorities have collected reports of strange rituals coming from within Wychwood Forest. Five satanic groups have been arrested in the past few months with others believed to be operating in the area. Police urge everyone to keep their doors and windows locked at night and to report any strange activity to the police at once. We'll have an update for you at Ten." _

"Well storm the crows. How disturbing is that Milady." Parker huffed. "Who would have thought these types of people still exist in this day and age?"

"My thoughts exactly, Parker." I agreed. "Sir Bernard's route will take him past an area of that forest. I think I better check on him before he leaves."

"Very good, Milady." Parker acknowledged.

Let me explain what Sir Bernard's plan was before I continue. He planned to arrive at the University during the middle of the night where his contact would meet him. The document he was carrying was so sensitive that they had to meet in secret. His route would take him past the forest during the middle of the night. Until he reached his destination, I made his safety my responsibility. Sir Bernard and I have known each other for many years so I have grown to regard him as a personal acquaintance as well as an associate. The thought of anything happening to him left me feeling uneasy. Parker knew what I was thinking.

"Would you like me to return you to the hotel, MiLady?"

"Good thinking, Parker. Turn us around."

Driving back on ourselves, I activated the tracking device. It didn't take long for me to locate him. According to the device, he was still in his hotel room. I felt relieved knowing that he hadn't started his journey yet, but I needed to be there with him for peace of mind. We had traveled a fair distance though. The hotel was over an hour away and I just had this gut feeling that he was already gone. That gut feeling would soon prove to be right.

When we arrived at the hotel, we were surprised to see that his car wasn't in it's designated parking space. His signal still beeped away in the vicinity of his room though. I didn't know whether to fear the worst or not. Parker remained in the car while I went on inside the hotel to look for him. I explained the situation to the receptionist who told me that they didn't recall Sir Bernard checking out of his room. She gave me a key though so I could investigate further. When I got to his room, I unlocked the door using a key card. I arrived at what looked like a war zone. Sir Bernard's room had been ransacked. The window was left wide open with a cold breezed filling the room. The furniture lay strewn across the place. I stepped on broken glass shards as I searched for the tracking device. It was poking out under the tattered bedsheets. There had been a struggle of some kind leading me to speculate that Sir Bernard had been kidnapped.

I returned to the receptionist with my findings. I pressed her hard for information. I didn't buy the fact that she didn't hear any commotion. The walls in the hotel were thin so anybody could have heard him scream for help. She eventually caved in and told me the truth. She explained that a cloaked man entered the hotel and threatened her with a knife. He said that he had come to collect a powerful vessel who should be sacrificed. I deduced that while this cloaked figure was threatening the receptionist, his accomplices entered Sir Bernard's room via his window and took him by force. The receptionist succumbed to her guilt and began to cry uncontrollably. It wasn't her fault. She acted out of fear for her life. After all, She was on the night shift all by herself. I told her to alert the police while I analyzed my findings.

Meanwhile, Parker had taken the time to inspect the empty parking lot. He discovered a faint trail of oil that must have leaked from the car's petroleum tank. It wasn't much to go on, but it was a lead. Climbing into FAB One, we followed the trail deep into the night. Our high beams guided us towards the edge of the forest. I didn't like the vibe it gave me. A theory kept swirling around in my mind. Had Sir Bernard been kidnapped by a Cult who had been shadowing him? It made no sense to me though. He wasn't the kind of person who would upset the religious community let along with the occult. I put my thoughts to one side as Parker reached for our firearms in the glove compartment.

"You're gun, MiLady." He said as he handed me my pistol. "I believe you're going to need it."

"Indeed," I replied. "I can't help but think that Sir Bernard is here. I just hope we can find him in time?"

As we pulled up onto the side of the road, The Professor's car appeared in our high beams. Smoke poured out from under the bonnet, all four tires were flattened and the doors were left wide open. We went into stealth mode, switching off our lights and engine. The scene confirmed my theory. A cult had taken him. Leaving the safe confines of the Rolls, we walked up to the abandoned car. There were traces of blood on the passenger door as if whoever was in there had been dragged out. There were four occupants in the car, all of whom left fresh footprints in the mud. I loaded my gun while Parker switched on his torch. He led the way into the dense forest, keeping his torchlight on the trail. I could deduce by the prints that Sir Bernard had been dragged with force. I just wanted to find him and get him out of there quickly. A short way into the forest, Parker stopped me in my tracks.

"Listen. Can you hear that MiLady?" he whispered.

It took me a while to adjust my hearing, but I could indeed hear a sound coming from the clearing ahead. We could hear multiple voices chanting in a bizarre inaudible language. It heightened the creepiness of the situation.

"Yes. It's coming from over there. Let's go and investigate." I silently replied. "Keep your guard up, Parker."

Creeping towards the source of the chanting, we could smell a bonfire along with a rotten putrid smell. A flickering glow drew us in closer. Hiding behind the trees, we located our missing professor. He was unconscious and had been tied to a marble slab that sat in front of a huge bonfire. A group consisting of Seven men wearing white ceremonial cloaked circled him. I signaled Parker to get into position as I watched the leader carry out the ceremony. He began spouting a tale of good and evil, how Sir Bernard was a threat to Satan because he carried powers from the Lord himself. I didn't understand a word of it myself, but they seemed pretty adamant that Sir Bernard was a threat to their belief. What they saw as righteous, I saw as cold-blooded murder. The leader of this sect approached Sir Bernard from the circle. He loomed over him with a jagged dagger in his hand. Giving Parker the signal, we advanced on the group. We were able to spook them with a series of warning shots, but it angered the leader.

"Trespassers! You shall be silenced! You, my beauty, shall be the first to spill blood tonight!"

I froze on the spot as he charged towards me. I had little time to react before I was hurled to the ground with a painful thud. I tried to wrestle my way out of his grip, but he was too strong for me. It was like wrestling with a bear. He forced the gun out of my hand. I no longer could reach it leaving me in a helpless predicament. He reached for his dagger again, aiming it at my stomach. I reached out and grabbed his meaty hand. I had to direct his blade away from my person. My heart raced from the adrenaline that coursed through my veins. The man's hood slipped off his face, revealing his scarred face. I looked directly into the eyes of a deranged fanatic. To reason with this man would be futile. Keeping me pinned to the ground, he started to laugh in a demonic tone.

"So pretty. May Lord Lucifer make you his bride in his kingdom for all damnation!"

I knew my time was up. With Parker nowhere to be seen, I knew I was going to die. Suddenly, the man lost his balance with a painful cry. Parker had crept up behind him and hit him with the but of his gun. Helping me to my feet, cut free Sir Bernard of his bonds. He carried the partially conscious man back through the woods while I secured the area. I tied the deranged leader to the slab, making sure that he didn't have an opportunity to follow us. I wasn't hurt badly except for a few bruises, but my chest ached from the stress of my encounter. Despite keeping my composure, I was scared beyond belief. I left that ceremony site drenched in sweat and mud. Parker placed Sir Bernard into the car while I called the police. I told them everything including the tied up cult leader. At least they were able to make an arrest that night, but the other cult members were still out there.

On our way to the hospital, I tried to get an account from Sir Bernard on what happened. He didn't make much sense thanks to the concussion, but I was able to get a basic picture of what happened. He said that he got a look at one of the cultists while he was being abducted. It was one of the hotel staff members who parked his car for him. That's how they knew where to find him. I had to take responsibility for this incident. How could have been so idiotic? I should have taken him to the university myself. None of this would have happened if we had. We dropped him off at the hospital a short while later. There was nothing we could do after that so we went home.

I hope that Sir Bernard is alright after his ordeal. I've yet to find out if he'll be kept in overnight, but as soon as I find out, I'll be straight over there to visit him. I feel happy knowing that the leader was taken down, but the rest of those cultists are still out there. Parker managed to scare them off, but who is to say that they won't attempt this horrible act again? I urge anyone who happens to be traveling through that area. Keep your windows and doors locked. They might just come after you next.

End


	7. The Lighthouse Creep by Jeff Tracy

**Thunderbirds**

**The Halloween Collection 2019 Classic Edition**

**by Lee Homer**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved and do not belong to me. This year's Halloween special is set in the original universe. **

The Lighthouse Creep

By Jeff Tracy

I can recount a time in my academy days that will always haunt me to this day. I was on a training exercise orchestrated by the United Space Agency. I was only a recruit back then, having been transferred over from the U.S. Air force. I was picked to lead the first manned mission to Mars, a momentous occasion for mankind at the time. I always felt it would lead me on the path to a prosperous career. My years of training weren't always this eventful, but they certainly weren't unsettling either. I was sent up one morning to take part in a survival fitness exercise with two other astronauts. The exercise was to test our reflexes and morale in the event of an emergency. The examiners always chose the emergency landing scenario.

The location they chose for the drop point was a small shanty beach in Kent called Dungeness. I remember the location rather well. It was the site of an Atomic Nuclear power complex and home to numerous abandoned buildings of yesteryear. Nestled amongst the dilapidated buildings and fishing boats were two lighthouses. One was fully operational while the other remained open to the public as a museum piece.

My unsettling encounter began when our jump jet flew over the coastline. The three of us were given the all-clear to jump. I was the designated map reader. We dived towards the target drop zone before deploying our parachutes. We hit the unkempt pebbled beach safely without incident. I was the first to remove my parachute which gave me extra time to study the map. Our original objective was the walk towards the neighboring town of Hythe where our superiors would pick us up. However, what my fellow astronauts didn't know was that I was permitted to spice things up. I decided I'd use that privilege well and change the direction of our hike. Sure we were still going to Hythe, but I wanted to put my group through their paces. The other two recruits finally caught up with me where I briefed them on the details. They didn't seem to notice my plan. I still keep in contact with them and to this day, I choose to forget what happened. So for this story, I'll call them George and Bill.

The route I had picked led us past one of the lighthouses. I didn't think much of it at first when one of the recruits noticed a change in the temperature. I looked up and witnessed a mysterious fog bank that appeared out of nowhere. It drifted towards the ocean towards us sporting an eerie vibe that didn't sit right with me at all. I knew for a fact that we didn't see anything on the horizon plus the forecast promised us clear skies and yet, here it was. Soon, the horizon around us started to deteriorate rapidly. Before it could completely envelop us, I lost my bearings and my sense of direction. All light began to fade too. Within minutes, we were isolated there on the beach. The thunderous sound of a foghorn echoed all around us. We couldn't go anywhere at this rate. George suggested we take refuge in one of the lighthouses until the fog cleared which wasn't a bad idea. We could make out the light of the active lighthouse in the distance, but we couldn't work out how far it was. This left us with one option. We were close to the old lighthouse which had now taken on a creepy presence.

"Are you sure, you want to head in there, Jeff?" Bill asked me. "It looks very unstable if you ask me."

"You're probably right," I replied. "Unfortunately for us, we have no other option. I can't see us getting anywhere until the fog lifts."

"George, I don't think this is a good plan of yours," Bill argued. "For all we know, that Lighthouse could be unsafe and toxic with all sorts of things. I want to pass this exam not die from lung poisoning!"

George looked over at Bill in frustration. "So what do you suggest we do then?"

Bill stood there and uttered. "I... I don't know. Maybe we should make a camp somewhere?"

"Sure, if we knew which direction to go in? They didn't give me a compass remember?"

Bill and George looked at each other with reluctance to move. I couldn't help but snigger at the pair of them despite our situation. That's when they looked at me for the final answer.

"So what do we do then, Jeff?" Bill asked.

"Well I don't know about you Bill, but I'm going with George's plan," I answered him.

With that discussion over with, we headed towards the old lighthouse. I felt Bill's hesitance as he opened the door. Fortunately for us, it was unlocked, but I still didn't feel comfortable going inside. There was something about it that kept me on edge. It was something sinister. Stepping across the threshold felt like entering another realm. The three of us stood there in complete darkness while Bill the wall for a light switch. It smelt rotten and musty and the air felt thick with dust. I couldn't understand why it was left unlocked when it was a museum. I heard Bill mutter profanities under his breath when he kicked something heavy on the floor. He eventually found an old gas lantern which he lit with a match.

Despite the bright glow from the lantern, the lighthouse was incredibly dark. An old cobble staircase appeared in the lantern's light. One of us needed to see if it was safe to ascend it. Taking the lamp from Bill, I cautiously walked towards the bottom step so I could look up towards the lightroom. I felt my stomach drop when I noticed another glow coming from the top of the lighthouse. Someone else was in here with us. The part the baffled me though was that we didn't see anybody up there from the outside. Never the less, we needed some answers. Perhaps somebody lived in here and that they could direct us towards the mainland? Anything was worth a try at this rate. George stayed by the door while Bill accompanied me on the stairwell. We made little progress when a deep voice stopped us in our tracks.

"Stay where you are! Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The second glow didn't seem so far away this time. Whoever this person was had come down to greet us. I politely answered his request.

"We apologize for trespassing. We're three American astronauts who are here on a training exercise only we can't get our bearings due to the fog out there. We were wondering if you could help us?"

Whoever was up there didn't reply at first until he said;

"The fog threw you off huh? Hahaha. Sure. Wait there and I'll come down to help you."

"Are you sure? We do appreciate it?" I replied.

"Just stay where you are and don't move!" The voice commanded. "I'll be right down."

We complied with his request, but I wasn't convinced by the tone of his voice. He sounded friendly yet devious at the same time. We could hear the sound of heavy footsteps descending the stairs ahead of us. The ominous glow accompanied them as they grew louder. That was when we made out the dark silhouette of a figure approach us from above. I couldn't make out his face, but he wore old period clothing which consisted of a white shirt, a dark blue overcoat with matching pants and black heavy boots. The figure eventually stopped three steps up from where we stood. I could partially make out his face from the glow of his lantern. I caught a glimpse of his rugged dirty face with a pipe sticking out of his mouth. His eyes were hidden under his hat and his left arm was concealed by shadow. He looked us up and down for a moment before uttering a chilling comment which unnerved me.

"You know you shouldn't have come here. I don't like trespassers who come into my lighthouse without permission."

Bill didn't understand the man's sudden change of heart. "But I thought you said you were going to help us?"

"I was going to until I looked into your eyes, American!" He growled. "I don't like you. I don't like your kind."

Bill tugged at my shoulder trying to get me to move. "Come on, Jeff. Let's get out of here!"

The creepy man found Bill's fear as a sense of humour. His sickly smile enticed me to punch him in the face.

"I'm afraid you can't leave." He cackled. "The only place your kind belong is under the ground in pieces!"

I looked down at his hidden hand as the man revealed a hatchet! I told Bill to leg it down the stairs as quickly as he could while I stalled the creep for a few seconds. He was no lighthouse keeper, but he made the mistake of pissing me off. He took a swing at me, but I was too fast for him. I threw a punch at him, striking him in the chest. I heard him curse under his breath as he stumbled backwards onto the staircase. It gave me the head start I needed. I bolted down the stairs towards the door all the while I could hear him laughing. His footsteps echoed behind me.

"That's right, run. I'll kill you eventually!"

George wasn't outside the lighthouse. He had somehow wandered off into the Fogbank. Finding Bill, we rushed outside to look for him. We called out to him, following his voice towards an old abandoned shack. As soon as we found him, we quickly explained the situation. We all hid silently behind the shack when spines tingled in a synchronized way. The psycho had made it outside the lighthouse. We heard him banging his hatchet up against any object he could find all the while he laughed away in amusement.

"Hahahaha! Come out, come out wherever you are!"

Instinctively, I knew we could use his deranged voice to our advantage. All we had to do was use it as a beacon. The others quickly cottoned on to what I had in mind. On the count of three, we silently crept across the wild beach while hearing out for the madman's laugh. We could hear him swinging away from our right. The fog horn made it hard for us to pinpoint his location though. He could have been using that to his advantage. I heard him confirm it as he called out to us.

"I know what you're doing. Two can play at that game. Soon you will tire and that's when I'll kill you!"

George wanted to fight back. I could see the look of rage in his eyes. I clamped my hand over his mouth before he could say a word.

"This is what he wants. If you challenge him, you'll give away our position." I whispered to him. "Keep your mouth shut and keep your head down. Understood?"

George nodded and I released him. We pressed on through the fog when we came to a small house. It had been abandoned, but the owner left their furniture inside. Let's just say it was another mystery that we all chose to ignore. We barricaded ourselves inside with a bookshelf and some chairs before crouching in the back room. We sat there in complete darkness when we heard the creep's footsteps approach the door.

"I know you're in there, open up!" He laughed as he violently jerked the door handle.

When he realized that we had barricaded ourselves in, we heard him shuffle around the house towards the back door. That door had been locked from the inside with a heavy metal bolt. All of a sudden, we could hear him breaking the door down with his hatchet. Pieces of diced wood-coated the floor all the while he laughed like a maniac. I thought I was going to die without a chance of seeing my mother or my Lucille again. We were engaged and had planned a wedding a month before I was due to go to Mars. I couldn't believe I was going to miss it. The hatchet-wielding maniac had taken down most of the door when all of a sudden, he stopped. It took us a few minutes to process what was going on. After sitting there in silence, I gathered the courage to see what was going on. Creeping out into the main living room, I saw rays of sunlight peering through the hacked door. The skies were clear again, leaving no trace of the fog or our mysterious assailant. I signaled the others to follow me outside. We pulled apart the door and stepped outside. It was a shock to see just how far we were from the lighthouse. In our heightened state, we only managed to cover a short distance. As for the creep, however, he was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't see him in any direction. He couldn't have vanished so quickly? We would have seen him run back to the lighthouse. There were no foot impressions in the pebbles, no sounds of walking or laughing and the lighthouse reset itself to normal. Where did that hatchet-wielding maniac go?

Fumbling for the map, we quickly made our way towards Hythe as fast as we could. Time wasn't a concept after that. We made it to the town a few hours later with the help of public transportation. We no longer cared about the fitness exam. I hoped my report would be taken seriously. We told our story to our examiners who ordered us to keep it silent. The thing was, some of the locals overheard our discussion. A local fisherman told us that the lighthouse was haunted by a keeper who lost his family in a fire. With anger in his heart, He was said to have taken his frustrations out on anybody who dared to enter the lighthouse. The chilling part about this was that every time he was said to appear, a phantom fog bank would roll in. The examiners found that explanation hard to swallow, but we were fully convinced. It answered so many questions.

After that, we got on the jeep and headed for the airport, leaving the coastline behind us. We would later re-take the test in an area that was closer to home. I'll never know if those examiners took our report into serious consideration, but their decision set the path for my mission to Mars. If that spirit or whatever he was had killed us, I wouldn't be here today running International Rescue and making a difference with my boys. There have been some encounters with this spirit lighthouse keeper in recent years, but I will never go back there. Whether he was a spirit or a copycat madman. Lighthouse Keeper, let's never meet again.

END


	8. Cannibal Trap Part I by Tin-Tin Kyrano

**Thunderbirds**

**The Halloween Collection 2019 Classic Edition**

**by Lee Homer**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved and do not belong to me. This year's Halloween special is set in the original universe. **

The Cannibal Trap

Part One

By Tin-Tin Kyrano

This year had to mark the biggest number of creepy experiences that we have ever faced. This one was one of the worst. It only happened a week ago and to this day, I can't get it out of my mind. It began with a mysterious distress call that had been relayed to us from Thunderbird Five. It was breakfast time when John reported the call to Mister Tracy. He explained that he received a distress call from an area in rural Texas. He explained that the caller reported multiple casualties and that they needed medical attention. Mister Tracy responded in the only way he knew how. He called for Virgil to dispatch Thunderbird Two, asking Gordon and myself to accompany him. I only went on a rescue mission if my first aid skills were required. I suited up and quickly joined them in the hangar bay.

John couldn't provide us with an update as we took off for Texas. He said that he kept the channel open in case any further messages came through. It wasn't enough to go on, but it was the best he could do. I remember sitting there with a feeling of hesitation as we crossed the ocean towards the coast. Now just to clarify, We've had fake calls before. Some of them were made by dangerous people. There are a lot of powerful people out there that would kill to get their hands on our secrets. Every time we get called out on a rescue mission, we run the risk of stumbling into an ambush or a trap of some kind. Fortunately, we rarely faced those said incidents.

"How long will it take us to reach the danger area?" I asked Virgil as I saw the Texas countryside over the horizon.

"We should be there in a few minutes." He replied. "You and Gordon better get ready. We'll have to prepare for anything."

When we arrived at the scene, I could feel my stomach begin to tighten. Something didn't feel right. There weren't any police cars and no people. It was nothing but an empty farm with an abandoned house at the top. I wanted us to turn round and fly home, but an angered Gordon wanted to check it out. He pressured Virgil to land in the field at the bottom of the hill. I tried to reason with him that it was a bad idea, but he wouldn't have any of it. Gordon always had a problem with fake call outs. He took them far too personally than he ought to. You could say that it clouds his way of thinking. As soon as we landed, I tried to convince Gordon not to leave the Thunderbird. He looked at me in frustration and asked me why. I couldn't convince of anything at this point. Sure I gave him an answer but wasn't going to accept it purely because it was nothing but a hunch. Who knew he'd apologize to me later.

We stepped out into the field which was full of dead grass. I gathered this place hadn't been used in years. The state of the house added to the creepiness of the place. It didn't look like any ordinary farmhouse. It looked out of place. Virgil left the craft with a calmness that could shelter you from harm. He barked at his brother to calm down to which he finally did. We stood there and speculated about the call out when Gordon thought he saw movement inside the house. Virgil turned to look, but he couldn't see anything. Gordon said that it came from the downstairs window and that it looked like a person. Virgil decided to follow this up. We grabbed some hoverbikes before making our way towards the house. I could feel the sensation of eyes watching me. The house seemed to take on a personality of its own.

"Guys, I don't like this," I said with a slight tremble in my voice. "What if this is a trap?"

Gordon shot me a look as if I was being pathetic. "Relax, Tin-Tin. All we need to do check the house out quickly."

However, Virgil shared my concerns. "I don't know, Gordon. She's got a point. A place like this should be condemned if anything."

Gordon huffed because he knew we were right. When we approached the patio, we devised a plan. Gordon volunteered to check the cellar while Virgil and I would enter the house via the front door. It's safe to say at this point that I was terrified to even go in there. I had strong visions of being attacked inside the house. Virgil grabbed my hand though in an assuring way. He looked at me with a comforting smile and said;

"It's okay. I'll keep you safe. I promise."

His encouragement was enough for me to continue. Virgil opened the door with ease, revealing a dark and musty room. A foul smell filled the air. It smelt like an animal had died. It made me feel nauseous. After adjusting our senses, Virgil and I started to search the house. Every room looked like a war zone. There were broken bits of furniture everywhere. The floor was coated in glass and blood. We couldn't work out where the blood came from which made me feel sicker than before. As we approached the kitchen area, the revolting stench grew stronger. We stepped through the door into a room covered in meat which was dripping blood all over the floor. Beneath the hanging meat was a large wooden table that had blood-soaked tools on it. The meat carcasses, however, didn't resemble any animal that I was familiar with. That was when we heard a loud creaking sound from the floor above us.

"Please let that be Gordon?" I whispered as Virgil reached for his gun.

"Come on. Let's find out." Virgil replied as he led the way.

We returned to the main hallway where Gordon eventually joined us. He also heard the noise from upstairs but hesitated to go up there. To be fair, we all felt the same thing by this point. Before we could turn to leave, we were stopped by a disheveled looking figure who had locked the front door. He stared at us all with dirty rotten teeth. His hair was black and matted and he wore a pair of dirty dungarees. I knew it was a trap. The man smiled as he brandished a large kitchen knife in his hand.

"So International Rescue, you fell for our trap." He laughed. "So nice of you to drop by. Hey Larry, come down here. Our Dinner has turned up!"

I turned to see another man come down the staircase. He looked directly at me with a smile which made me feel dirty inside.

"Hey, beautiful. Have you come to keep me company?"

"Larry! What did mum tell you about playing with your food!?" The first man snarled.

At that moment, I put it all together in my mind. These two men were cannibals. Those hanging meat carcasses were not animals but humans! I wanted to run but I could see that the man in front of the door wasn't going to let me. He looked like he could take me with little resistance. Virgil and Gordon had other plans though. They trained their guns on the two men with reaction from the pair.

"We'll shoot if you don't back off!" Gordon said as he tried to ward them off.

The two men started to laugh at us. "Larry, do you hear that? He thinks he's going to kill us! We'll start with him first."

"Yeah, I fancy stuffed ginger tonight!"

Gordon's rage took hold of his body. He fired a shot at the man on the stairs, hitting him in the arm. He screamed in pain as he stumbled down the stairs towards us. This provoked the first man into a fit of rage. He lunged towards us, missing me by inches. Virgil wrestled him to the ground attempting to force the knife out of his hand. He screamed at me, telling me to run while I had the chance. I didn't want to leave him there, but it was the only chance I had. I could still hear the man laughing while Virgil had him in a headlock. I pleaded for him to get the hell out of there, but he didn't hear me. Amongst the skirmish, Gordon emerged with a bloodied face. He had gotten into a fight of his own but had managed to knock out the injured man. He hobbled down the hill towards me as he joined me in complete shock. With our voices combined, we finally convinced Virgil to leave the house. That was when everything fell silent.

Fearing the worst, I ran up the hill towards the house. I couldn't hear anything. No cries of pain or laughter. After convincing ourselves that he didn't make it, Virgil emerged from the house. His uniform had been ripped in the fight and had blood trickling down his chin. He stumbled towards us slowly before falling to his knees. Putting his arm around me, we carried him back towards Thunderbird Two. He spat out blood as he explained to us what happened to him in there. He claimed that during the fight, the wounded man escaped through the back door. The man he was fighting kicked him off and tried to stab him but only managed to slice his shirt open. He then took off and ran after his brother.

As soon as we were aboard, Virgil battled the pain to get us airborne again. As soon as we were clear, we returned to base by automatic pilot. We all sat there in the pod in silence. We were all shaken to the core by what had happened. While the boys patched themselves up, I couldn't help but ask myself why I couldn't have done more to help them. I knew this was a trap. If only I could have convinced them before we arrived? Virgil assured me that it wasn't my fault. He said he would take responsibility for what happened as he was the one who decided to check it out. It turned out that nobody was responsible in the end. Mister Tracy made sure that the matter would be fully investigated. His reaction to the incident had to be the most alarming part.

When we returned to base and told the family what happened, he slammed his fist on the desk in a blind rage. His anger drove Scott and Alan out of the room out of awkwardness. I wanted to leave too, but he demanded the three of us stay for a moment longer. He paced the lounge until he calmed down. Virgil sat on the sofa, cradling his bandaged arm while Gordon stood behind him. Mister Tracy walked over towards me and pulled me in for a hug. He apologized repeatedly as he succumbed to the guilt of sending me out there. I assured him it wasn't his fault, relieving his emotions. After hugging his sons, he returned to his desk.

"I'm not going to let this slide." He said sternly. "I could have lost you three two dangerous monsters that have evaded the law for far too long. Well, I think it's about time we stepped in and did something about it."

"What can we do?" Virgil asked him. "We're International Rescue, not a police force?"

Jeff looked up at him. "I know that, but if those two have been butchering people then we must stop them before they can strike again."

We all looked at each other as if we knew what he was going to say next. Gordon scratched his chin.

"Father, you're not suggesting we send in Lady Penelope do you?"

Jeff acknowledged him with a nod. "That's exactly what I'm going to do."

The three of us left him alone to make his call. Virgil headed for bed while Gordon made his way to the sick room. I went to find my father who had finished cleaning up in the kitchen. I spent that night telling him everything. The mortified look on his face made me cry. I wondered if I needed therapy after this. I've faced mortal danger on many occasion but this was just barbaric and life scarring. However, this story is far from over. Penelope and Parker would soon encounter the same evil as we did. What they were about to discover was even more sinister.

To Be Continued.


	9. Cannibal Trap Part II by Parker

**Thunderbirds**

**The Halloween Collection 2019 Classic Edition**

**by Lee Homer**

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved and do not belong to me. This year's Halloween special is set in the original universe. **

The Cannibal Trap

Part Two

By Aloysius Parker

I've never seen Mister Tracy so angry before in all the years I've served her Ladyship. He called one morning with a face as red as a volcano. Her Ladyship had to calm him down before she could find out what our mission was. I must admit, I felt anxiety when he told her what had happened. I stood on the other end of the door, listening in on the conversation. He explained that his boys and the young Miss Kyrano had been called out to a fake distress call only to find themselves fighting for their lives. As soon as I heard him mention the words "Cannibal" I realized that this wasn't a simple matter for the police. He took this personally so much so that he instructed us with apprehending these two assailants discreetly. As soon as he ended the call, her Ladyship called for me. I stepped into the parlor to see an unsettled look on her face.

"You rang Milady?"

"Yes, Parker. Get out the Rolls Royce. We're heading for the United States immediately. Jeff has arranged a flight for us to Texas." She replied, unaware that I heard the whole thing."

"Very good Milady," I said as I turned to leave the room.

While I headed towards the garage, I knew that I had to prepare for something violent. Anything could happen while we were in Texas so I stashed a case of firearms in the boot. I pulled FAB One upfront unaware that Madam had received another call just as she was leaving. As she climbed inside, she issued me with a set of coordinates to plug into the onboard computer. The map showed me where we needed to go. It was rural alright at which was miles from nowhere. I didn't think much more about it considering we had a flight to catch first.

We were soon flying aboard the Fireflash which cruised towards Texas. The flight time provided enough time for us to run over a plan of action. Her Ladyship decided to do a sweep around the property with me covering the rear entrance. I wasn't sure about the plan myself. The thought of having her out of my sight always unnerved. There were many occasions where she always faced danger when I wasn't with her. I tried to discuss it with her thoroughly, but I couldn't think of a better idea.

The sun dipped beneath the horizon when our flight touched down at Dallas International Airport. It was a clear night which made for good visibility. The stars glistened in the night sky which helped paint the Texan scenery. It all changed however when the house appeared in my headlights. We both stared at it from the safety of the car. It's decaying appearance irradiated negative energy. Pulling up at the side of the road, we could both sense each other's hesitance. Why did this place give us the creeps when we were used to this sort of thing? I watched the look on her face as she composed herself.

"Right, come along Parker." She said as her voice shifted back into a fearful tone. "The sooner we apprehend these monsters the better."

My protective instincts began to kick in. I didn't want her leading the way. Not this time.

"I'll lead the way, Milady," I replied.

She smiled at me with assurance though. She wasn't going to let this case get to her.

"I appreciate your devotion to duty, Parker but I'll be alright."

I kept her Ladyship in my sights as we made our way through the dry fields. The house cried out to us with an eerie whale. For a moment, we found it hard to believe that anybody lived there, but this wasn't the time to turn around and flee. As we approached the front door, I reached over to stop her from entering. The sound of shuffling filled my ears. It was coming from the basement which was located at the rear of the house.

"What is it, Parker?" She asked me.

"Not so loud, Milady," I whispered. "I can hear movement. They're round the other side of the house."

"Then we'll have the element of surprise, won't we?" She replied cockily. "Ready your gun, Parker. We'll split up and canvas the property."

I objected heavily to that idea, but before I could say a word, she was off. I stealthy made my way towards the basement entrance from the left while Lady Penelope took the right. The shuffling sounds suddenly stopped, plunging me into complete silence. I couldn't hear a thing. No footsteps, no breathing. Nothing. I eventually located the basement door a few minutes later. The latch was left up with a rusted padlock that dangled from it. A warm, orange light leaked from underneath the withered looking door. The shuffling sounds soon returned. They were coming from behind the door. Whoever it was didn't seem to know I was there. I suppose you could say I'm an expert at stealth.

Suddenly, a faint scream cut through the stifled sounds. Before I could react, I felt my foot crunch down on something metallic. I knelt to see what it was. It was the lady's gun. Whoever was down in that basement had grabbed her from behind. I could see the impressions in the grass which presented signs of a struggle. I picked up her gun which was still fully loaded. I wasn't about to let anything happen to her. I couldn't live with the consequences. Drawing my pistol, I kicked down the doors and stormed the basement. I couldn't see much once I was in there though. The basement had a rich odor to it. It was a mixture of damp and blood. It was the perfect set up for a horror snuff film. I eventually stumbled into a large metal table that had a selection of chains and sharp tools suspended above it. It had to be an examination table much like the one the Tracy boys described. My heart was ready to leave my body. The horrible rancid smell made it hard for me to continue. Where are they storing their victims down here? It was enough to make me throw up. I heard another cry coming from above me. This time it was the distinctive tone of Lady Penelope herself. She had been taken into the house accompanied by the sound of boot steps dragging along the ground. I located the stairs which led to the ground floor. That's when I heard two other voices along with hers.

"I suggest you let me go at once!" Her Ladyship shouted. "Killing me won't solve your problem. I am an agent of International Rescue after all."

One of the men grunted at her. "What do you think we should do with her? She's got a mouth on her."

"Fetch the rope, Larry! We'll keep her for storage in case we run out of meat!" The other man snarled. "She's such a pretty snack. Very tasty!"

I had to make a move then and there before they could kill her. I rushed them with both guns trained at them. Her Ladyship had her hands tied behind her while one of the men tried to tie her ankles. They were both big and disheveled with matted hair and a menacing complexion. They both smiled at me for a second before releasing her. Using the silence to her advantage, Her Ladyship unraveled the rope from her ankles and ran towards me. She reached for my penknife which was in my back pocket and worked away at her bonds while I kept my eye on the two men. As soon as she was free, I handed her her gun.

"That was good timing, Parker." She said. "I'm afraid they were too strong for me. Now, what shall we do with them?"

"We could give them a taste of their own medicine, Milady?" I suggested. "I found a large animal cage in the basement. We could put them inside until the police get here."

"That's a splendid idea." She replied.

"No one cages us and leaves!" One of them sneered. "You're going to have to kill us!"

Suddenly, one of the men inched closer to us.

"Stay where you are!" I commanded as I fired a shot at his foot.

The men continued to goad us into murdering them.

"Shoot or we'll eat you!" "What are you? A coward!?" "International Rescue is full of cowards!"

Her Ladyship had had enough by this point. She loaded her gun with a powerful sedative and fired two shots at the pair of them. It didn't seem to affect them at all. It didn't take them long to realize this either. We both loaded our gun with sedatives before aiming at them again. This time, we both fired, planting four darts in both of their chests. They toppled to the floor like dominoes as the drug kicked in instantly. I stayed there with them while her Ladyship ran for the car to call the authorities. We were never going to kill them, but the thought did cross my mind. These were two monsters after all. The law probably would have given them the death penalty anyway.

The Sheriff arrived a short time later. I had never felt so relieved to lave a location before. I had taken the liberty of booking the next available flight home figuring that her Ladyship had no other business in Texas. As we drove off into the night, I could see her sitting there with a face as white as a sheet. She informed Mister Tracy of the situation but then spent the rest of the ride in silence. I didn't blame her. I wanted to throw up myself, but it was my duty to get her home before I could do such a thing. Unfortunately, the next flight wasn't until the following morning so I found a hotel for the night. The room wasn't anything special and the pair of us didn't get much sleep that night either. It was 4 am when we received a call from the Sheriff that arrested the two men. Unfortunately, they had to shoot them dead when one of them stabbed an officer with a knife. As I heard that, I felt the rage bubble inside of me.

"I knew we should have killed them there and then." I huffed.

"Parker, I'm ashamed at you!" She replied. "You know full well that wasn't our job. We were tasked to bring them in, not shoot them in cold blood. The police did what they had to do. It wasn't our call."

"I'm sorry, Milady." I apologized. "It's just... It's just they were going to kill you."

"Parker. I know you care about me." She replied. "I couldn't do these assignments without you, but we work for International Rescue, not the law. We have to bury our emotions to see that the job is done efficiently. That being said, at least they won't be hurting anybody anymore."

"That is true, Milady." I sighed.

"Get some sleep, Parker. I'll see you in the morning."

I left her room so I could let her get some sleep. I wasn't ready to relax. That was reserved for when we got home. That's about it. Another dangerous and unnerving mission had come to an end. When we arrived back at the stately home, we both decided to go about as if it never happened. We couldn't afford to let such an incident scar us in any way as it would affect our ability to work with International Rescue. Her Ladyship, however, is relieved that she doesn't have to return to Texas again.

End


End file.
